![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
The National Chinese Honor Society (NCHS) held their annual Lunar New Year gala, showcasing performances and booths to celebrate one of China’s most important holidays on Feb. 18 in the Auxiliary Gym.
Mandarin students kicked off the gala with a dragon dance, manipulating a fabric dragon to create various poses and movements. Sophomore Kayvion Cruz led the dragon, which symbolizes prosperity and good fortune to the community while warding off evil spirits and negative energy.
NCHS member Nyssa Kansal (11) expressed how the dragon dance allowed her to connect more with China’s traditions.
“I was part of the dragon dance last year, and I remember practicing it a lot during our breaks so we would become better at it,” Nyssa said. “It was really cool to see how much the dragon dance improved this year, and it also helped me learn so much more about Chinese culture.”
Students showed off traditional Chinese clothes through a fashion showcase. Attendees also enjoyed multiple student acts, including a duet flute performance by Sophia Zhang (9) and Chelsea Liu (9) and a solo singing act by Sophia Bagley (12). A fan dance closed off the event.
Honors Advanced Mandarin: Contemporary China student Albert Yao (12) volunteered to perform a self-choreographed wushu routine to display Chinese traditional martial arts.
“I haven’t been practicing wushu too much, so I was excited to do more of it,” Albert said. “It’s really nice to share that with others. I liked seeing how everyone showed up to appreciate our culture, and it was really great that there were a lot of people from our school who came to watch and support us.”
Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the beginning of a new year based on the lunar calendar, which follows the phases of the moon. In China, it is often celebrated with family gatherings, special food, decorations, and traditions meant to bring good luck and happiness.
Throughout the celebration, members of all Mandarin classes ran booths and invited students to solve riddles, try out popular Chinese snacks, and create paper lanterns. Each year, all students taking Mandarin contribute to the performances and booths during the event.
Mandarin teacher Yi Jiang leads NCHS and oversees the Lunar New Year celebration every year. She purchased snacks and material supplies for the event, which was sponsored by Harker’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department.
“All the students within NCHS and the officers work closely with each other to prepare for the celebration,” Jiang said. “Since we have so many different kinds of performances, it requires a lot of preparation, and it needs to be very carefully designed. I need to be super organized because I’m the only teacher who supervises this event.”
NCHS President Grace Fu (11) organized the booths and coordinated the technical parts of the performance, including the order and the background music. She also played the guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument, during the student performances.
“Every year I get really nervous, especially because I have to perform and then afterward I have to get the mic and announce the next performance,” Grace said. “But I’m pretty happy with how I did today, and I really do love performing at this event every year.”
Prior to the event, Jiang guided her Mandarin students through some of the cultural performances like the dragon dance, teaching them different movements and positions during class. She shared her pride in her students and the effort they put into the gala.
“I just feel so happy for them,” Jiang said. “I hope this event can motivate them deeply. When they go back to the classroom, they will enjoy the language and the culture more. It’s a really fun experience, and I hope they can remember it for a long time.”
